Photolytic degradation of decabromodiphenyl ethane (DBDPE)

The photolytic degradation of decabromodiphenyl ethane (DBDPE), an alternative flame retardant to decabromodiphenyl ether, was investigated in a variety of matrixes (n-hexane, tetrahydrofuran, methanol/water, humic acid/water, and silica gel) by irradiation under ultraviolet light and in n-hexane under natural light. Photolytic degradation of DBDPE occurs in all the matrixes investigated within the irradiation period (<320 min). The degradation experiments showed varied reaction rates, dependent on the matrixes, with increasing half-lives (t_1/2) in the order of tetrahydrofuran (t_1/2 = 6.0 min) > n-hexane (t_1/2 = 16.6 min) > humic acid/water (30 < t_1/2 < 60) > silica gel (t_1/2 = 75.9 min) > methanol/water (t_1/2 > 240 min). The reaction in tetrahydrofuran, n-hexane, and silica gel matrixes can be described by the pseudo first order kinetics. Nevertheless, the matrixes have little effect on the degradation product distributions of DBDPE. A numbers of debrominated intermediates were identified. The degradation involves the initial formation of nona-BDPEs and the subsequent decomposition of these congeners to lower brominated congeners (octa- and hepta-BDPEs) within the irradiation time. To our knowledge, the present work is the first attempt to investigate the photolytic degradation kinetics and the identification of intermediates, as well as the degradation mechanism, during the degradation of DBDPE. Further research is needed to understand the photolytic degradation pattern of DBDPE in the natural environment.